When the clocks go back from the end of October until the end of March, we often feel bereft of sunlight and are definitely feeling the chill now the temperatures are dropping. It’s why holidays somewhere hot and sunny at this time of year are so appreciated and eagerly anticipated.
Get away from the cold UK weather and the long dark evenings and escape to a beautiful beach. So, where’s the best place to head for the sun? Where’s hot but also dry in February through to April, when we are so desperate for some sun, after not having any for months?
If it’s all about the beach and you want it tropical…
Mauritius is a 12-hour flight from London and is great all year round, but our winter months are some of the best. Lovely temperatures averaging around 25- 28C and they are also some of the driest months. With some of the finest beach hotels in the world, this is an incredibly idyllic Indian Ocean dream and there will be a hotel catering for whatever it is you’re looking for.
The Maldives is about a 10-hour flight away and there’s not a bad time to go to these idyllic little islands – although with their paradise vibe they are the perfect antidote to a dark British winter! More suitable for a peaceful and relaxing escape, this is ideal if you just want a relaxing break.
The Caribbean is out of its hurricane season by December and until April it is the driest and least humid, so winter here is a dream. There are so many islands to choose from depending on what kind of experience you are looking for. Barbados and Antigua are the two most popular choices, with great restaurants and plenty to keep you entertained, for breath-taking rain-forest landscapes there’s St Lucia, whilst Grenada offers an authentic Caribbean experience – the list goes on! We’re also specialists in creating amazing Caribbean Island Hopping itineraries, if you fancy visiting more than one island.
If you love the beach but also want things to explore…
Mexico is about 10 hours from the UK and the best time to go, whether that’s to the Yucatan Peninsula or Pacific Coast is between November and April. From the ancient Mayan culture in the Yucatan to the authentic Mexican flavours of the Pacific Coast, there’s so much to see and do. Along with heavenly beaches, relaxed vibes and great weather.
Thailand is a 13-hour flight from the UK and the islands are ideal between November to April. There are dozens of islands to choose from that are the stuff of fantasies and you can also combine it with a trip further North to explore more the of the country, be it ancient culture, elephant trekking or the bright lights of Bangkok.
Sri Lanka is also ideal during our winter months. If you are looking for an adventure combined with a stunning beach, then look no further. Visit the colourful temples, spot rare wildlife and take tea at a hillside plantation – Sri Lanka is beautiful, unique and filled with fascinating culture and history.
Cost Rica is an ecotourism heaven, packed with natural beauty, with lush grasslands, tropical rainforests and vast mountains ranges, with everything from white rivers to simmering volcanoes and is teeming with wildlife. It has stunning beaches galore with great surfing conditions and a perfect climate to enjoy it all in.
Bali is perfect for a beach holiday and our winter is the best time to visit, with idyllic weather from Oct through to May. They also have beach resorts catering for every type of holiday, from quiet idyllic resorts, through to wild party resorts. Yes, you can spend your time relaxing on its stunning beaches, but there’s also plenty to do. Take a boat trip to the more remote Gili Islands or explore its waterfalls, temples, wildlife and culture.
Florida in the winter is mainly milder but still very pleasant and it is a great time to visit the theme parks of Orlando as the humidity in the summer is exhausting. In February half term it’s usually warm in the daytime with very little chance of rain. You can combine Orlando with the Florida Keys or somewhere along the Gulf coast where Clearwater, St Petersburg Beach and Sarasota offer miles of pure white sand and a relaxed seaside vibe. You can even combine Florida with some great US cities and national parks, mixing all the bits you want to see in to one US Multi Centre holiday.
Want the sun but not too bothered about a beach…
Australia has opposite seasons to us, so winter is the best time to visit and it’s just reopened so is a great time to visit. Although it does have stunning beaches, a visit to Australia is more about exploring its vibrant cities, stunning landscapes and extraordinary sights.
South Africa also has stunning beaches, but you’d be missing out if you spent too much time on them. From the lively Cape Town and its iconic Table Mountain to the exquisite scenery of the Garden Route and Winelands and not forgetting the magnificent Game Reserves of Kruger and the Eastern Cape, there is simply so much to see and do.
If you don’t want to travel as far…
Cyprus is the closest option for winter sun and a good European option, with temperatures remaining in the low to mid-20s throughout November. By December, these will drop to the high teens, which still represents a good option for a little warmth without travelling too far. For many people, this time of year is much more pleasant for visiting Cyprus, as the summer months can be unbearably hot and dry. Planning a trip for the winter means being able to explore more in relative comfort.
UAE is never cold and is just under 7 hours away. In fact, when the temperature drops, it feels like a relief. This makes it a great place to escape for some winter sun and to cheer yourself up with a few of the finer things in life – we’re talking shopping, beaches and delicious meals in world-class restaurants. If these things don’t chase away the winter blues nothing will! Expect temperatures in the late 20s degrees C to mid-30s, allowing a dip in the sea to cool off on a regular basis.
The Canaries is only a short 4½ hours away, and being only 100km from the African coast, it’s warm pretty much all the time. In the winter months, from December to March, it’s still an average of 18 degrees which is great t-shirt temperature. Each island has its own mix of gorgeous beaches, entertainment and dramatic scenery. As well as the well-known destinations of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, there’s also the sleepy islands of La Gomera and La Palma characterised by untouched beaches, pine forests, and fishing villages.
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AlisonFletcher
Brilliant trip organised by Dave, included Helsinki, Tallin, Vilnius and Riga. (4 different countries) Everything ran smoothly. Dave organised hotels, flights, taxis, ferry and coach. Have used this company a few times and can't recommend highly enough they are fab 😀
Posted 2 days ago -
Sandra
As always, Chris was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. He gave me good advice on my travel plans and booked the holiday on my behalf. I've used eshores a number of times, and will continue to do so.
Posted 5 days ago -
Harrison
We haven’t been on our trip yet but based purely on the experience of booking the trip we are pleased with the result. It started with a bit of a hiccup as we spoke to a member of staff who never came back to us but when we reached back out again we were placed in the hands of Andy who has helped us book a 2 week trip to India including the golden triangle and then a few days on the beach. Andy was very patient with us with our changes to our tailor made holiday, even when we asked him to explore different areas only to revert back to the original plan. He also recommended moving the holiday back one week which created a saving of over £700 which meant we could upgrade the room for our beach stay in Goa. Andy was also available on weekends if we wanted to speak and regularly picked up the phone as opposed to keeping it to purely email dialogue. Hopefully the holiday will be amazing but based on the booking experience I would recommend eShores if you’re looking to book a tailor made holiday
Posted 5 days ago -
Wendy
I spoke to Lynette who was extremely helpful in understanding the trip that myself and my sister in law wanted from Thailand. Myself and my sister in law are both 72years young and we are really looking forward to our trip.
Posted 6 days ago -
Dawn
Excellent service from Matt at eShores. So very helpful and nothing was too much trouble. I booked Mya holiday after all his hard work finding me the perfect holiday that I wanted. Superb service and not pushy all all.
Posted 1 week ago -
Amrik
We have booked two big holidays this year for a group of 8 and a group of 10, Rachel has coordinated our holidays with the utmost excellence, during the consultation we changed countires hotels and even flights but it did not phase Rachel one bit. Exceeds customer expectations by helping advising and supporting throughout the holiday. We are off to Thailand and Dubai in August and then followed by India and Thailand in November, I have rang emailed Rachel many times during the booking and I got very prompt responses even on her days off. Rachel is a credit to EShores and EShores is setting standards regarding customer focus.
Posted 1 week ago -
IainWilliam
I can’t praise Lynette at EShores enough. She has organised my trips perfectly to the point that I wouldn’t use anyone else. She listens to what I want or to the problem I have and comes up with a solution. Nothing is too much trouble. Try them out yourselves and I bet you become a repeater too!
Posted 1 week ago -
Kevin
At short notice, I needed a quote to travel through the USA (July the 20th) I emailed eShores with an idea of what I wanted to do, within a short period of time I had a response from Matthew, After several amendments to my holiday which wasn't any trouble to Matthew, Holiday all booked, now looking forward to travelling through the USA Have to say, the service I had through eShores was fantastic, well done Matthew for working through the changes,
Posted 1 week ago -
Marcus
Dealt with Adam who was great, I went back and forth many times, nothing was a problem for him. We got there in the end and Adam arranged a 3 place holiday to Malaysia and Singapore. We go on 5th August, will if update review when we return. EShores so far brilliant hats of to Adam.
Posted 1 week ago -
Jill
We as a family used eShores last year to go to USA, and they were brilliant, my husband and 1 are going to Italy with them this September and we have just booked again to go back to USA with them next May, very efficient and Matt is lovely to deal with
Posted 1 week ago